Evolve24 and Sherpa Analytics yesterday announced their merger. The combined company, which will keep the evolve24 name, will leverage their data collection and processing platforms to offer end-to-end audience engagement, anticipatory intelligence, issue management and strategic insight solutions.

Anthony Sardella will lead the combined company as president and CEO. He founded evolve24 in 2004 and led the company through its early growth stage before Maritz Research acquired it in 2010. He was the president and founder of Sherpa Analytics, and has been responsible for the company’s strategic growth over the past several years.

The combined company will become a separate legal entity with a stand-alone board of directors and appoint a combined leadership team. Maritz Holdingswill maintain an ownership interest in the new combined company.

"evolve24 will not only have the most advanced technology infrastructure to collect, process, and integrate traditional media, social and digital media, and company-proprietary data sources but also will be powered by advanced analytics to make big data actionable, exactly what Fortune 500s need in today's evolving business environment," Sardella said in a statement. "Our unique ability to not only discover what matters to audiences, but also what drives behavior allows us to provide unprecedented insights and actionable, strategic support for decision making."

The combined company will offer a suite of products, including the following:

Mirror, a big data and social analytic platform for consumer and market insights;

Vector, a powerful analytical product for measurement of program effectiveness;

Pivot14, for real-time global anticipatory issue intelligence; and

AimAware, a leading enterprise, global risk management application.

"The choice to combine these two entities was driven by a need in the market, as we've watched big data explode in recent years," said Michael Bryars, chief operating officer at evolve24, in a statement. "We are thrilled to combine evolve24 and Sherpa Analytics to have the freedom to innovate and grow in a market that is experiencing record growth and advancement."